Cool Stuff

While there was a lot of new toys shown at the Hasbro booth during Celebration IV, we know that our readers want to know more! (Check out the galleries on our official C4 coverage page if you need a reminder of all the new figures & vehicles shown off and announced...go ahead, we'll wait for you to come back.)

So, what does the future hold for fans of the Star Wars action figure line? Quite a bit, my friends...but we should preface this report by saying that nothing is official yet, and some of the rumored items won't come out for a year or two, or more...if at all! Such is the nature of an ever-evolving toy line...things change all the time. Just so we're clear on that point, okay?

So what did our spies uncover? First things first, let's repeat our original announcement for Willrow Hood, also called the "Ice Cream Maker Guy". This figure has a decent-sized fan following thanks to Scott Pearson's fan-fiction background story, but will that following be enough to support this figure at retail? We're going to find out, although there was a debate as to just how he'll be released: either in a battle pack or as a single-carded figure? I'm told there will be a carded figure and that it was a choice between him or another much-requested item, and that Mr. Hood prevailed.

Looking at the sticker sheet for the Action Figure Base Pack, one might notice the name Lumat, yet the Ewoks slated for 2007 are said to be Romba and Graak...so why is Lumat listed? Because he'll be part of another 2-pack next year, packed with the long-rumored (this has been listed for years!) Female Ewok with Wokling!

Ever since Toy Fair, fans have been drooling over the 7 figures from the wave dedicated to The Force Unleashed (which has been pushed back to 2008 now, and was replaced by the repaint wave 7.5)...but although those 7 figures are über-cool, we can't help but notice that there's someone missing. Dare we say, someone important to the game? Vader's Secret Apprentice? Not to worry, he won't be missing for long...and if you want a peek at what this guy looks like, just head over to LucasArts.com and see him in action!

Speaking of The Clone Wars, I'm sure everyone noticed the AT-TEin the trailer for the upcoming series? We sure did, and we asked Hasbro about it, saying how it would look really cool...to which they replied "it does" and quickly walked away. But wait, isn't this a larger vehicle that would cost more than the 'assault vehicle' size that has become the standard for vehicles...can fans of larger vehicles be happy at last? Well, we're told we should "start saving your money now."

In other vehicle news, our spies have learned of a re-release (possibly repaint?) of the B-Wing Fighter, complete with a human pilot this time around.

Over in the Comic Packs, we learned that they'll continue into 2008 with new characters from both the Marvel and Dark Horse comic books. Seems that EVERYONE loves the Star Wars: Legacy series (not just at Hasbro either), and we'll see more than one set based on that series. While we can't name names, we'll give a tiny hint: one set will include 2 similar characters, one of which we've seen before...in a matter of speaking.

Another really popular comic is the Star Wars: Purge one-shot, which has already provided inspiration for Commander Bow and a 2-pack of Bultar Swan & Koffi Arana...but there's at least one more set in the works, and this one includes Tsui Choi...no info on which character (or characters, since he is tiny!) he'll come packaged with.

Our final spy report (for tonight, anyway....more on that in a moment) is another Comic Pack, this time originating from the Star Wars: Empire series. It's Luke's childhood friend Tank, who is now a full-fledged Imperial Lieutenant! The character he comes packed with is also interesting, but we'll save that little tidbit for next time.

What? Next time? That's right, we've got a lot more info from our rebel spies...but we're saving that for a special segment in this week's Force-Cast! So come back on Friday and listen to the latest episode, because I'll be joining the show for a special spy report recapping everything posted here, plus a LOT more I didn't. See you then!